Reconfigurable Recreational Vehicle

ABSTRACT

A reconfigurable RV is provided, having a multi-section wall separating a living quarters and a garage, that wall being vertically adjustable by elevation of the living quarters floor to selectively move between multiple modes of use, including full down, loft, and full up. The vertical adjustment of the wall permits changes in the usable area of the garage floor, according to the ceiling height needed in the garage and living quarters concurrently

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to recreational vehicles (“RVs”), such astravel trailers, toy haulers, fifth wheel trailers, motor homes, and thelike, having at least living quarters therein, and as otherwise definedby the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association, information aboutwhich can be found on the Internet at www.rvia.org.

RVs are typically versatile vehicles which may be used for concurrentlyor separately hauling equipment, other vehicles, personal property,people, and animals. RVs are often used for camping and/or recreation,or as temporary living quarters for an extended period of time. As such,the removable contents of an RV can include camping equipment, othervehicles (such as gold carts, ATVs, race cars, dune buggies), chairs,tables, tents, bar-b-ques, small boats, ski and snowboard gear, etc.Because the utility of an RV can vary with the season, the hauling needsfor the RV can vary annually. Because an RV can have a useful likeextending over many years, the hauling needs for the RV can vary fromyear to year. Because an RV can be easily resold to other owners, thehauling needs for the RV can vary from owner to owner. Accordingly, ithas been desirable for an RV to be to change its configuration in orderto suit the needs of the user in a given situation.

For a variety of reasons, both structural and regulatory, RVs typicallyhave a fixed exterior configuration when being moved along roads andhighways. However, once the RV has been moved to the desired location ofusage, its configuration can be altered, at least to some extent.Typically, this has been previously done by the use of full wall orpartial wall “slide-outs,” a wall portion of the RV which selectivelymoves outward to expand the useable interior space of the RV. This is areconfiguration of the RV along the horizontal plane, to expand theuseable floor area of the RV. When the RV is prepared for moving to adifferent location, the slide-out is then contracted back into the RV.

However, there are limits, both economic, practical and regulatory, withrespect to the use of slide-outs. For example, certain governmentaland/or camp site regulations can confine the number and size ofslide-outs available for a given RV type by requiring the RV to staywithin a given “noon footprint”. Also, when camping, trees or othernatural obstructions adjacent to the RV can limit the use of slide-outsas a practical matter. Further, slide-outs typically add substantiallyto the cost of manufacture and maintenance of an RV, and slide-outs arecommonly the root cause of many RV warranty costs (due, for example, torain leakage, misalignment of operating mechanisms, and the like).Further, slide-outs typically add substantially to the weight of an RV,either directly or indirectly, and thereby increase the fuel costs andvehicular requirements associated with moving the RV from location tolocation.

Other mechanisms have been used to attempt to increase RV versatility byreconfiguring the interior space without altering the noon footprint.For example, some RVs have been built with “pop-up” mechanisms whichraise all or part of the roof structure of an RV. This isreconfiguration of the RV along the vertical plane, to expand theinterior vertical height or ceiling of the RV. Such structures can, ineffect, add a second floor for bunks, or a loft, or render otherwiseunusable space useable for standing, seating, and/or sleeping. Pop-upscan, to some degree, improve fuel economy for towing vehicle by loweringthe RV drag or wind resistance, particularly during higher speed travelalong highways. However, pop-ups do not typically add floor area to thevehicle for hauling or storing equipment. Further, pop-ups typically areexpensive to manufacture and maintain, and can be more susceptible awide range of warranty costs, and can add significantly to the weight ofan RV (thus, negating fuel economy gains from drag reduction).

It has also been suggested to use “slide-back” mechanisms to reconfigurethe RV by altering its floor plan at the site of usage. Examples ofthese are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 8,864,206 and U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/507,528. Such arrangements can be especially helpful in toyhauler design, where the travel trailer or motor home type of RVincludes a rearward “garage” for hauling or storing another, secondaryvehicle, such as an ATV or sandrail. Once at the desired location, aramp door on the RV is lowered, and the secondary vehicle is driven outfor independent operation. The garage portion of the RV, now beingemptied, is not needed for the same purpose and would be “wasted space”within the RV. Accordingly, slide-back RV designs have a moveable wallthat slides along a fixed track into the garage, coincident with thelongitudinal axis of the RV, to shrink the floor area of the garage, andconcurrently expand the floor area of a living room adjacent to thegarage. This can be especially suitable where a vapor barrier needs tobe established between the garage and the living quarters of the RV, forexample, to restrict penetration of fuel fumes from the garage room intothe kitchen or sleeping areas of the RV. It can also be helpful to havea rigid wall between the garage room of an RV and the sleeping or livingareas of the RV to increase personal security and privacy during RV use,especially where multiple persons are using the RV for differentpurposes at the same time. However, slide-back mechanisms can berelatively expensive and add to the overall weight of the RV, with atleast some of the attendant disadvantages of such. Further, slide-backmechanisms reconfigure the RV floor plan by permitting alternativeselections of opposing use along the horizontal plane of the RV. They donot focus on concurrent use alternatives within that plane, and do notaddress the prospect of translating cross-planar potential functionality(such as, space defined in then vertical plane) into horizontal planefunctionality.

It has been suggested to provide additional, alternative uses for a RVgarage, by forming a portion of the garage ceiling as the bed platformin an adjacent living quarters, and then moving the ceiling upward whenthe bed is not being used or used to its full extent. This is shown inU.S. Pat. No. 10,046,690. However, that type of RV reconfiguration againfocuses on alternative selections of opposing use, rather maintaining aform of concurrent use. Further, elevating the bed platform in thatmanner can preclude affirmative separation between the two adjacentrooms, leaving no fixed wall in place or vapor barrier. Moreover, sinceonly a portion of the ceiling is moved, the full useable floor area ofthe garage does not benefit from the reconfiguration of the RV. Further,the operational mechanisms needed for such partial reconfigurationarrangements can be readily apparent by the using and can significantlydetract from the aesthetic appeal of the RV. Further, any such exposedlift mechanisms can be a safety concern with respect to user interface.

Objectives of the Invention

Accordingly, a primary objective of the present invention is to provideimproved floor plans for reconfigurable RVs. These improvements includeproviding such arrangements which:

-   -   a. are inexpensive to make,    -   b. increase the floor plan optimization,    -   c. maintain adequate user safety,    -   d. minimize component weight,    -   e. increase storage areas and accessibility thereto,    -   f. increase feature accessibility and user comfort, and    -   g. increase the aesthetic appeal of the RV.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other objectives of the present invention are achieved by theprovision of a reconfigurable RV having a multi-section wall separatinga living quarters and a garage, that wall being vertically adjustable byelevation of the living quarters floor to selectively move betweenmultiple modes of use, including full down, loft, and full up. Thevertical adjustment of the wall permits changes in the usable area ofthe garage floor, according to the ceiling height needed in the garageand living quarters concurrently.

Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the present inventionwill become readily apparent from the following drawings and detaileddescription of certain preferred and alternative embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a right side schematic view of a RV according to the teachingsof the present invention, with the living quarters floor just liftedfrom the full down position.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional, right side plan view of the interior of aRV according to the teachings of the present invention, with the livingquarters floor in the full down position.

FIG. 3 is a cross-section end view along line 2-2 of FIG. 2 .

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional, right side plan view of the interior of theRV of FIG. 2 , with the living quarters floor lifted to the loft mode

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view along line 4-4 of FIG. 4 .

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional, right side plan view of the interior of theRV of FIG. 2 , with the living quarters lifted to the full up position.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view along line 6-6 of FIG. 6 .

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional, left side solid body view of a RV accordingto the teachings of the present invention, with the living quartersfloor in the full down position.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional, left side solid body view of the RV of FIG.8 , with the living quarters floor lifted to the loft position.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional, left side solid body view of the RV ofFIG. 8 , with the living quarters in the full up position.

FIG. 11 is a photographic view from the left rear of the garage lookingforward to the right side of the RV, of a RV incorporating the presentinvention, with the living quarters in the full down position.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged photographic of a portion of FIG. 11 , showingthe sliding track used by the middle section of the multi-section wall.

FIG. 13 is a photographic view from the right side of the livingquarters looking rearward to the left side of the RV, of the RV of FIG.11 , with the living quarters in the full down position and the sofa/bedframe in the raised, sofa position.

FIG. 14 is a photographic view corresponding to FIG. 13 , with thesofa/bed frame in the lowered, bed position.

FIG. 15 is a photographic view corresponding to FIG. 13 , with theliving quarters floor raised to the loft position.

FIG. 16 is a photographic view corresponding to FIG. 13 , with theliving quarters raised to the full up position.

FIG. 17 is a photographic view from the left rear of the garage lookingforward to the right side of the RV, with the living quarters floor inthe position of FIG. 16 , and the forward curtain removed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The figures show schematically, and in a best mode version, embodimentsof the present invention, as applied to a toy hauler RV, bothgenerically and specifically. The drawings are not to precisely scalefrom one view to the next.

The following features are illustrated in the drawings by thesenumerals:

-   -   10. toy hauler type RV    -   12. RV wheel    -   14. RV towing hitch    -   16. Ramp door for opening and closing the garage entrance    -   18. Ramp door hinge connection    -   20. Garage area or room of the RV    -   22. Living quarters, such as a bedroom, adjacent to the garage        area    -   24. Additional living quarters, such as a bathroom, living room,        kitchen    -   26. Storage area under the living quarters    -   28. Additional storage area under the additional living quarters    -   30. Storage cabinet    -   32. Bedroom cabinet    -   34. Partition with access door    -   40. Multi-section wall, preferably with each section being rigid    -   42. Floor of the garage    -   44. Floor of the living quarters, elevated above the floor of        the garage    -   46. Floor of the additional living quarters    -   48. Subfloor under the living quarters    -   50. Subfloor under the additional living quarters    -   52. Wall between the living quarters and the additional living        quarters    -   54. Lifting apparatus for moving the living quarters floor up        and down, preferably conventional in construction, such as from        a pop-up tent camper roof lift apparatus    -   56. Control mechanism for lifting apparatus (preferably user        actuatable), having conventional mechanism for sensing if the        sofa/bed arrangement 74 is not fully down, and preventing        operation of lifting apparatus 54 if that condition is sensed    -   58. Lower section of wall 40, preferably fixed to floor 44    -   60. Middle section of wall 40    -   62. Upper section of wall 40, preferably fixed with respect to        ceiling 64    -   64. Ceiling 64    -   66. Ledge for engaging middle section 60 when lifting    -   68. Ledge for engaging middle section 60 to stop downward        movement of that section under influence of gravity    -   70. Stop ledge for resting on ledge 68 to support middle section        60 against downward movement    -   72. Sliding track for retaining middle section 60 in proper        placement during movement    -   74. Selectively moveable sofa/bed arrangement, including frame    -   76. Self-rolling curtain (preferably roller shade type, and        being selectively removable by the user), extending across the        floor width, for separating the living quarters from the        additional living quarters when the living quarters is raised        above the full down position.

Although the present invention has been shown and described herein withrespect to certain preferred embodiments and alternative configurations,those were by way of illustration and example only. For example, whileonly three positions are shown for floor 44, the control mechanism 56can allow the user to position the floor at any desired intermediateposition, to allow as little or as much headroom in the loft mode as theuser prefers. Further, while in the preferred embodiments, gravity willexert sufficient biasing force to allows section 60 to slide down intoplace, in other preferred embodiments, a spring biasing element can bemounted into sliding track 72 to urge section 60 downward. Also, whilethe wall 40 has been illustrated with only three sections, in otherembodiments, additional or less sections can be used. In addition, whilea forward access door has been described as part of partition 34,exterior access doors on each side of the RV can be disposed to giveaccess to subfloor 48 at all times.

Accordingly, the spirit and scope of the present invention is intendedto be limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A reconfigurable RV comprising: at least a firstand a second room inside of the RV, each room having a floor with auseable floor area and a floor height, wherein altering the floor heightof the second interior room alters the useable floor area of the firstinterior room.
 2. The reconfigurable RV according to claim 1, alsocomprising a wall separating the first and second rooms, that wallhaving a selectively alterable vertical height.
 3. The reconfigurable RVaccording to claim 1, also comprising a rigid, multi-section wallbetween the first and second rooms.
 4. The reconfigurable RV accordingto claim 3, wherein the second room has a ceiling, and wherein at leastpart of the wall does not move relative to the ceiling.
 5. Thereconfigurable RV according to claim 4, wherein at least one of thesections of the wall is fixed adjacent to the ceiling.
 6. Thereconfigurable RV according to claim 5, wherein at least one of thesections of the wall is moveable vertically with respect to the ceiling.7. The reconfigurable RV according to claim 6, wherein at least one ofthe sections of the wall does not move relative to the floor of thesecond room.
 8. The reconfigurable RV according to claim 1, wherein thefloor of the first room is disposed at a first elevation.
 9. Thereconfigurable RV according to claim 8, wherein the floor of the secondroom is disposed at a second elevation that is higher than the firstelevation.
 10. The reconfigurable RV according to claim 10, wherein theRV includes a first subfloor disposed beneath the floor of the secondroom, that first subfloor being disposed at the first elevation.
 11. Thereconfigurable RV according to claim 11, wherein the floor of the firstroom and the first subfloor are contiguous.
 12. The reconfigurable RVaccording to claim 12, wherein the RV includes a second subflooradjacent the first subfloor, that second subfloor being disposed at thefirst elevation.
 13. The reconfigurable RV according to claim 13,wherein the first and second subfloors are separated by a selectivelyopenable partition.
 14. The reconfigurable RV according to claim 8,wherein the RV includes an apparatus for selectively raising or loweringthe floor of the second room.
 15. The reconfigurable RV according toclaim 14, wherein raising or lowering the floor of the second roomcauses the wall or reduce or extend its vertical height.
 16. Thereconfigurable RV according to claim 15, wherein raising or lowering thefloor of the second room causes the sections of the wall to slidevertically with respect to each other.
 17. The reconfigurable RVaccording to claim 14, wherein the apparatus for raising or lowering thefloor of the second room is selectable to position the floor of thesecond room at an intermediate vertical height suitable for a loft useof the second room.
 18. The reconfigurable RV according to claim 14,wherein the second room includes a furnishing which is reconfigurablebetween seating and sleeping positions.
 19. The reconfigurable RVaccording to claim 18, wherein the second room includes a ceiling, andthe apparatus for raising or lowering the floor of the second roomprecludes raising that floor when the furnishing is configured to aseating position which would impact the ceiling of the second room.